Liquid heater



Sept. 21, 1954 Filed April 2, 1953 w. F. HARRIS 2,689,905

LIQUID HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet l -INVENTOR. WILLIS F. HARRIS afzz iyvb m w AT'IlORNEYS v W. F. HARRIS LIQUID HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1953 FEE]. 3

, INVENTOR.

WILLIS F. HARRIS BY myyyub q 71 JL ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 21, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT Q'FFICE LIQUID HEATER.v Willis F. Harris, Newark, Ohio Application April 2, 1953, Serial No. 346,499

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a liquid heater. It has to do, more specifically, with an electrically heated tank which is particularly useful for heating water.

Most tank water heaters, especially of the do mestic type, are vertically disposed and have the inlet for cold water at a low point and the outlet for the heated water at a high point. In this type of heater, the cold water has a tendency to rise directly up through the tank to the hot water outlet which, obviously, interferes with proper efficient operation of the heater.

It is the main object of my invention to provide a tank-type liquid heater which is more efiicient than prior art heaters in that the cold liquid entering the tank is prevented from passing directly to the tank outlet.

According to my invention, the tank is horizontally disposed and is heated by means of immersion type electric heating elements. The tank is provided with an inlet at its lower side and with an outlet at its upper side, the immersion heating elements being disposed at a level intermediate the inlet and outlet. Between the heating elements and the inlet is a horizontal baffle which serves to prevent the cold liquid, entering at the inlet, from rising directly to the outlet, and instead directs it around the immersion heaters before passing towards the outlet.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view taken longitudinally through the tank along line 1-! of Figure 3.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the tank.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 33'of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a wiring diagram of the electric circuit for the heating elements.

With reference to the drawings, the tanklfl is shown, for illustration, as being of cylindrical form. It may be made of aluminum, steel, iron, galvanized material or other suitable material. It is horizontally disposed. I will describe it as being a water heater but it can be used for heating other liquids.

The tank It is provided with an inlet H for water to be heated and an outlet I2 for the heated Water. The inlet II and the outlet 12 are disposed at the lower and upper sides of the tank Iii, respectively, intermediate the ends of the tank, preferably at the midpoint of the length 2 thereof. At the fiat ends of the tank at the centers thereof, the electric heating elements I3 are mounted. .These heating elements are of the immersion type and extend inwardly into the tank towards each other.

The heating elements l3 are at the axis of the tank. Below the axis but spaced above the lower side of the tank is a horizontal bafiie plate IL. This plate [4 may be of copper, zinc, steel, iron, galvanized material or any other suitable material; The baffle plate I4 extends the full length of the tank and the full width thereof at the level where it is disposed and its edges may be welded or otherwise sealed to the tank wall.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, directly below each heating element l3, the baffle is provided with a set l5 of small openings. Thus, the baffle Hi will serve to provide a lower chamber l 5 into which the cold water is supplied and an upper chamber ll where the water is heated. The cold water, entering through inlet II, will not flow directly to outlet H, but must flow in opposite directions towards the ends of chamber it and then upwardly through openings it into direct association with the heating elements It. Also, some heat will be conducted through baffle plate [4 from the hot Water in chamber H to the colder Water in chamber I6 which will serve to preheat the water before it reaches the heating elements The heating elements iii are connected in series as shown in Figure 4. They are controlled by means of a thermostat control unit ll of a suitable type which is controlled by a thermobulb unit It. As shown in Figure 2, the bulb it is preferably mounted intermediate the ends of the tank in chamber ll between the two heat-- ing elements l3 and at substantially the same level. It is connected to the unit H by means of a capillary tube i9. The water in the upper chamber l1 will be kept uniformly heated by the elements i3 and associated controls and the controls are preferably such that the heating ele ments will be actuated when the temperature of the water in chamber ll drops a few degrees, for example 4 F., rather than through a sub-- stantial range, for example 25 F, as with most heaters. However, incoming cold water will not cause a sudden drop in temperature of the in chamber ll because of the provision, of the bafile M. This bafile also decreases the amount of water that must be heated directly by the elements I3.

It will be apparent that my tank heater has a number of advantages, some of which have been 3 discussed and others of which will be apparent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A liquid heater comprising a horizontally disposed tank of cylindrical form having an inlet at its lower side and an outlet at its upper side, a horizontally disposed baffie located below the axis of the tank and extending the full length and the full width thereof to divide the tank into upper and lower chambers, a pair oi electric heating elements of the immersion type for heating the upper chamber disposed at the axis of the tank and extending inwardly from the ends thereof, said baflie being provided with openings at the ends thereof directly below said heating elements to permit passage of the liq- 5 mobulb disposed in said upper chamber intermediate said heating elements and adjacent said outlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,047,389 Cooper Dec. 17, 1912 1,069,679 De Wallace Aug. 12, 1913 15 1,717,207 Halle June 11, 1929 

